“A changing labor market requires smart training”

ROVC is a commercial technical trainer and can therefore quickly respond to the changing needs of the business community. As a Business Developer, Nico's job is to look ahead and translate technological developments into new training courses. "Fifteen years ago, we were the first trainer in heat pumps. Now we are preparing for energy transition and, for example, the European legislation on building automation that will come into effect in 2026."

Since 2015, ROVC has published the Tech barometer, a trend report that provides an overview of the technical labor market. The report is based on the input of more than 2,700 technicians, 1,000 companies and 1,000 potential lateral entrants. “We do not only want to be a trainer, but also think along with our customers. A changing labor market requires smart training. That is why we look at what is happening in the sector.”

Energy transition

“I always show a graph during lectures,” says Nico. “It shows a steep, exponential curve. I then ask the audience where we are on the line with the shortage of personnel. Usually the answer is somewhere in the middle, but in reality we are at the very beginning. It is really time to wake up. Within a few years it could happen that you have to wait a month for a mechanic to repair your heat pump. Then you are in the cold for a month.”

According to Nico, the aging population is the main cause of the increasing shortage, but technological innovation and stricter laws and regulations also play a role. The energy transition depends on professionals who install charging stations, heat pumps and solar panels. At the same time, the energy transition offers retraining opportunities. No less than 55 percent of potential lateral entrants consider sustainability an important argument for looking for a job in technology. “People want to contribute to the future, and the energy transition is attracting more and more people to technology.”

Replace valve

According to Nico, it is not just a shortage of people, but also about finding the right technicians in the right place. “A lot of people are being trained for sectors where there is little demand and people are getting better educated. We are going to see more and more predictive maintenance. That is why data analysts and installers are being hired who can read out systems remotely and identify problems. But someone is still needed who can go to the installation and actually replace the valve. We must not lose sight of that tinkerer, the practical professionals.”

Image

Despite all the fresh marketing campaigns that are supposed to give technology a new look, the persistent image that technical work is dirty and hard persists. “In news items about vocational or technical schools, you still see images of welding students. That is really outdated. Nowadays, technicians walk through buildings with a tablet to manage systems.”

Nico also believes that secondary schools can do more to promote technology. “Many vmbo schools no longer offer a full-fledged technical program. They do not have large workshops where students can really get to work with technology. The depth is lacking, and that has an impact on the flow to technical professions.”

Looking ahead

Although technological developments in other sectors seem to be a solution to staff shortages, such as robotization in healthcare, they actually create more demand for specialists in technology. “Due to the shortage of staff, the pressure to develop technological innovations will only increase. That is good news in itself, but you do need more technicians for it. There are many initiatives to tackle this problem, but they are mainly focused on the short term. To really tackle this problem, we need to look further ahead.”